Preview:ATP Finals: Jannik Sinner vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime - prediction, form, head-to-head

On a 26-match winning streak on indoor hard courts, Jannik Sinner faces Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday, aiming to start the defence of his ATP World Tour Finals with a win.

The favourite to defend his crown enters the year-end event knowing the No. 1 ranking is at stake, having only just reclaimed it last week, but will do his best to edge out friendly rival Carlos Alcaraz for the honour at the end of the tournament in Turin.

Match preview

You would struggle to run out of superlatives for Sinner, who has not lost on indoor hard courts since the 2023 Davis Cup Finals.

The world No. 1 has since accumulated 26 wins, including five last year en route to winning the title without dropping a set.

Although some of the invincibility from 12 months ago has diminished, the four-time Grand Slam champion has done well to return close to that level.

Since losing to Alcaraz in the US Open final, the 24-year-old has won 16 consecutive completed matches, only falling to Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai, where he had to retire due to severe cramps.

With only three players — Terence Atmane, Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev — taking a set off the 2024 Finals champion, he enters the year-end event aiming to improve his 34-3 hard court record in 2025.

With a season record of 53-6, three of which losses came to Alcaraz, Sinner aims to achieve his 54th victory at the Canadian's expense.

Auger-Aliassime mentioned after his recent defeat to the Paris Masters champion that the gap between them was closing, and he plans to demonstrate this in Turin.

Having lost meekly in Cincinnati, FAA challenged the then US Open defending champion for much of their semi-final in New York before losing in four sets, while a closely contested final also took place in the French capital.

These strong performances despite defeat should boost the eight-time ATP titlist’s confidence as he seeks a third career victory over Sinner and to improve his 48-23 season record.

Since the US Open semi-final, only two players have defeated Auger-Aliassime in completed matches, highlighting the 25-year-old's 14-2 record since Flushing Meadows.

Aiming for his 15th win, the former world No. 6 seeks to end Sinner's winning streak at home and make a mark in Monday's encounter in the Bjorn Borg Group.

Having had to wait until the last minute due to uncertainty over Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti, the former's withdrawal after beating Musetti in Athens on Saturday means the Italian will join Auger-Aliassime in Turn after all.

With all the doubt behind him, the Canadian star will aim to make the most of the year-end event to improve upon his 2022 debut appearance, when he exited in the round-robin despite a commendable victory over Rafael Nadal.

Head To Head

Paris Masters (2025) - Final: Sinner 6-4 7-6(4)

US Open (2025) - Semi-final: Sinner 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4

Cincinnati Masters (2025) - Quarter-final: Sinner 6-0 6-2

Madrid Masters (2024) - Quarter-final: Auger-Aliassime (walkover)

Cincinnati Masters (2022) - Round of 16: Auger-Aliassime 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1

Madrid Masters (2022) - Round of 16: Auger-Aliassime 6-1 6-2

Auger-Aliassime initially defeated Sinner in their first two encounters on the ATP Tour, but the top seed has since won three consecutive matches to lead their head-to-head 3-2.

All three wins have been on hard courts in Cincinnati, Flushing and, most recently, Paris, although they have not followed the same pattern each time.

Since managing only two games in Cincy, Auger-Aliassime has made this rivalry more competitive, matching Sinner shot-for-shot in the US Open semi-finals and narrowly losing in two tight sets in the Masters final in Paris last week.

We say: Sinner to win in two sets

Back at Inalpi Arena for the Finals, Sinner, who did not drop a set on his way to winning the title last year, will aim for a strong start on his home ground.

Starting this match on a 26-match winning streak on indoor hard courts, the Italian No. 1 should secure victory in two sets despite Auger-Aliassime's undeniable skill on indoor surfaces and recent close encounters with the local favourite.